Darkest Before Dawn (A Guardian's Diary Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

in his posture made me hesitate. He wasn’t aggressive, but he was dangerously curious. I stepped back and widened my pose, seeing if he’d do the same. Instead, his eyes slid down to my legs and back up at me.
    “Go kid, before I change my mind,” he said and I wasted no time getting back onto my bike and leaving him there. I didn’t go home, because if I did, he’d follow and I knew it. Knew it like I knew today had sucked monkey balls. I made it about a mile from the shelter and once again got off the bike to look around. I didn’t feel the eyes on me, and after a few moments, I pulled out the hand held radio and radioed in to Addy.
    Nope, I didn’t speak, because it was vital that I keep my gender to myself. Instead, I used the code my father had taught us, to let her know I’d be sleeping in the big red barn on the Johnston’s property.
    “Stay safe, and don’t do anything stupid, over.”
    Beep, beep, beep. Love you, too.
    I pushed the bike inside and set up the cans which would alert me if anyone tripped the fishing wire. With the bike secured, I crawled up to the loft and sprawled out on the hay. I’d killed today, and even though it had been for a good reason, it left behind a darkness that bothered me. How many people would I have to kill before this was over? When would this be over? It had been months, and it was only getting worse.
    Lying there in the blackness of night, it almost seemed normal. Until you listened to the silence and it sank in that nothing would ever be normal again. There would be no going back; the government was gone and those small factions claiming to be there to help you couldn’t be trusted, nor could the distress calls like the one my father went to go answer. I’d heard plenty of reports of people going to them, only to never radio back just like my dad didn’t. To me, it was a dead ringer for a red flag of trouble.
    I closed my eyes without removing the mask, and slept.

Chapter 3

    I woke up with the sun just rising. The smell of hay was rank, but what else had I expected? I sat up and looked around as I got my bearings. I’d dreamt of the man from yesterday, and it had left a tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach. I shrugged it off and reminded myself of what happened when men found women alone. Nothing good.
    I stretched my arms, climbed out of the loft, and opened the huge doors before pushing my bike outside and closing them. I did a perimeter check with my eyes and when I was satisfied I wasn’t being watched, I climbed on the bike and headed home.
    I walked in and was pounced on by Addy.
    “Bitch! I was so worried that I barely managed to sleep at all,” she whined, and kissed my cheek.
    “How’s Cathleen settling in?” I asked, changing the subject. I didn’t want to discuss why I had hay in my hoodie, pants, and boots, and well, let’s just say it was pretty much everywhere.
    “She’s adapting. I asked her for her story for the record books.” The record book was where we kept the tales of everyone who we helped or saved along the way. It only had a few pages filled out, but eventually, we would write more. “She’s from Boise, and was the mother of a two year old who those men killed. They also killed her husband of five years, and she’s not ready to talk about it, but she seems to be healthy. She was definitely abused, but healthy.”
    “Good,” I said as I pulled off the mask and shrugged the heavy pack off. I needed a shower and to change my clothes before I went back on patrol.  “How many are up and about?”
    “Kaylah, Jillian, and Greta are awake. I can wake the others if you need them.”
    “Do so,” I said stretching my back where it hurt from the night spent in the barn. “I want more of the dead burned, but we also need to grab some more supplies. We might need to make a trip into Spokane again.”
    Spokane was the closest large city, but going there was always dangerous. “Has there been any news from Kameron or anyone